From June through September the Department of Motor Vehicles issued previously assigned license plate numbers to the temporary plates issued to newly purchased automobiles, a City of Milwaukee official said Thursday.

And since Sept. 28 the Milwaukee Violations Bureau — the muscle behind the city's parking enforcement desk — has been squeezing Bill and Karen Thomas of Appleton for unpaid parking citations issued to a car they don't own.

"They knew there was a problem, but each time I called to explain the first thing they'd ask me is, 'How would you like to pay that today,' " a frustrated Karen Thomas said Thursday, after spending three weeks mired in bureaucratic muck.

"It's been a nightmare."

The nightmare began with the first "notice of impending registration suspension" from the violations bureau that showed up in the Thomas' mailbox Sept. 28.

The notice demanded $35 from Bill Thomas for an unpaid citation issued to a 2005 Chevy Malibu with temporary license plates bearing the same number as his 2007 Suzuki motorcycle.

The second notice arrived two days later telling him to cough up another 50 bucks for a separate unpaid citation issued to the same car with, again, the same temporary license plate number as the one on Bill's bike.

Then came the third notice the very next day trying to squeeze another $50 out of him for yet another unpaid citation for the mysterious Malibu with the irresponsible owner.

But what really spooked Karen Thomas were the threats included in the notices: mounting fines, future registration denial and possible interception of state income tax refunds.

"And they told me I had the burden of truth," said Karen Thomas, who eventually sent copies of the tickets — which included the VIN number for the Malibu — and a copy of the motorcycle registration to the DMV.

"Nobody was willing to help," she said.

"Nobody was willing to fix it."

For his convenience, the violations bureau did schedule a date in Milwaukee traffic court for Bill Thomas if he wanted to make the 107-mile trip from Appleton to dispute the citations.

But on Thursday a DOT supervisor called Karen Thomas to assure her that the issue had been resolved and that a court appearance on Monday will not be necessary.

"I wasn't offered any explanation. I was just told that I have nothing to worry about," she said.

"I can just imagine how many people are paying for tickets that they don't owe."

Bad plates issued from June to October

On Thursday, Sandra Rusch Walton, communications director for Milwaukee's Department of Public Works, which oversees parking services and enforcement, said its contractor, Duncan Solutions, reported that since about June 1 the DMV began issuing temporary plates to motorists that included "incorrect information."

"Most of the affected plates were motorcycle plates," Walton said in an email, adding that it was the DPW's understanding that the error was corrected Oct. 1.

When asked if DMV registrants affected by the error would receive special consideration if issued erroneous parking citations, Walton said she was "checking."

After a week of phone calls and emails from the Journal Sentinel, Department of Motor Vehicle spokeswoman Terry Walsh would not confirm the error when reached by phone Thursday.

In an email late Thursday afternoon, Walsh said:

"Vehicle services and dealers and agents worked to address your reader’s concern. We are still working with program experts to get additional information."

"We hope to have it for you tomorrow."

On Thursday evening the three unpaid citations issued to Bill Thomas' Suzuki DRZ-400SM still appeared on the City of Milwaukee parking website.

"It's basically a dirt bike," Karen Thomas said. "It's not something we'd be blazing up and down Highway 41 with to get to Milwaukee."